I know, I know, it's a miracle.
"Chen was not only operating without sight when he scrambled over the
wall built around his farmhouse to keep him in and supporters out, he
was also weakened by chronic diarrhea and hobbled by an injured leg....
Somehow Chen walked
for hours, apparently alone, evading three rings of guards....
Chen knew the terrain around the farmhouse well, having explored the
rural village as a blind child. He was able to move easily in darkness,
alert for the sounds of security officials and cars. But he stumbled
several times before arriving bloody at a meeting point with a fellow
dissident....
He remains in a Beijing hospital, where he is being treated for a broken
foot he suffered during his escape and for an inflamed gastrointestinal
tract....
He moved about in the dark and for hours with a broken foot (from jumping over the wall, no doubt) and a condition that requires hospitalization? Yeah, the more outrageous the cover story lie the more.... no one's believing this. The U.S. broke him out and plucked him away.
The confusing, chaotic episode.... Under intense international scrutiny, US diplomats scrambled to provide their version of events....
For that you can read these:
US seeks options for Chinese activist
Deal forged for Chinese dissident to travel to US
Dissident’s saga watched by Bostonians
Activist Chen says China has promised to investigate abuse
China processing activist's passport
"China activist arrives in US; Tested relations between nations, Obama’s resolve" by Andrew Jacobs and Steven Lee Myers |
New York Times, May 20, 2012
BEIJING - Chen Guangcheng, the blind legal advocate who made
an improbable escape from virtual house arrest and sought refuge in the
US Embassy here, arrived in Newark, N.J., on Saturday, ending a fraught
diplomatic drama that threatened to disrupt relations between China and
the United States.
The arrival of Chen, one of the country’s most prominent dissidents,
and the talks that led up to it, appeared to reflect careful
calculations in both countries as they seek to cooperate on a range of
economic and security issues.
The US role in aiding Chen - spiriting him into the embassy after he
escaped with the help of other dissidents - infuriated the Chinese, who
complained fiercely about what they considered interference in their
internal affairs.
But
in the end they quietly engaged with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham
Clinton and a team of diplomats to defuse what could have evolved into a
full-blown diplomatic crisis.
For China’s government, Chen’s departure followed a pattern of
allowing some especially vocal dissidents to leave in order to minimize
the impact of their activism at home, but it also appeared to reflect an
assessment that it was not worth damaging relations with the United
States to force him to stay.
In Washington, the State Department welcomed Chen’s departure and
praised the Chinese government in a statement that reflected its
handling of the case from the start: understated and nonconfrontational,
despite the emotions and high stakes involved for both countries.
“We also express our appreciation for the manner in which we were
able to resolve this matter and to support Mr. Chen’s desire to study in
the US and pursue his goals,’’ said the State Department spokeswoman,
Victoria Nuland.
Her statement referred to the complex understanding - the Chinese
were loath to call it a deal - in which Chen was allowed to attend New
York University Law School on a fellowship rather than seek asylum,
which the authorities in Beijing considered an affront.
School officials said they had already stocked a faculty apartment
with Chinese food and new furniture for him. He arrived Saturday evening
at Newark Liberty International Airport.
His departure - after two weeks of waiting - avoided a major
embarrassment at home for the Obama administration, which initially
arranged for Chen to stay and study in China, only to see him change his
mind after he left the embassy and entered a Beijing hospital for
treatment.
That prompted criticism from activists and some congressional
Republicans who accused the administration of seeking an expedient
solution to a nettlesome problem before Clinton’s visit to China in
early May.
Chen left Beijing on Saturday night with his wife and two children, the departure was shrouded in secrecy....
--more--"
Also see:
Chinese billionaire sentenced to life
US sets stiff tariffs on Chinese solar panels
China rejects US ruling in solar dumping case
China to reinvestigate claims of capsules made from powdered remains of babies
The Chinese blood libel?
